Scootering is a very exciting sport in the same vein as BMX and skateboarding, and it can be done with a simple scooter or with off-road electric scooters. Although many people considered it to be no more than a fad, pro scooter riding, or freestyle scootering, as it is also known as is holding its own in skate parks across the globe.
In the article below, we will take a closer look at this sport and its history. As for the question at hand, there is no doubt about it, scootering is a sport but as is the case with all modern urban sports, people are still looking down at it, but with time, that is bound to change.
What is scootering?
Scootering is an intense urban sport that is bound to make your heart pump. It is often times referred to as ‘freestyle scootering’ and it can be compared to BMX and skateboarding. This comparison arises from the fact that in both sports the athletes use obstacles, tricks, and terrains in order to display the talent and skill involved.
The sport first became widespread in the US, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and it became even more popular after 2002 when the scooter was recognized as the top ride-on toy for children in these three big parts of the world.
This does not mean that scootering is just a sport for kids since adults also use them to perform tricks and thanks to the lightweight nature and easy maneuverability of scooters, they are also perfect to use on a wide range of terrains.
In this sense, the sport is quite versatile since people can perform tricks on any flat ground such as in parking lots, in the street, on dirt, or most often, at skateparks. Compared to other sports, scootering is still new and it continues to grow in popularity every day, especially in other parts of the world where most people have yet to be introduced to it.
The standards for professional scootering are mostly set by people in Europe, the USA, and Australia since these are the places where the sport is most popular. It also helps that these regions already have good conditions for BMX, skateboarding and other sports that involve tricks in skateparks and other similar areas.
Seeing as this sport hasn’t yet fully come into its own, now is the perfect time to start if you are interested since you will get to evolve at a similar pace with the sport itself.
The history of scootering
It all begins in 1996 when Micro introduced the revolutionary folding scooters to the market and they soon became an international craze. They provided a tool to commute in crowded cities such as Tokyo, but they also proved to be very popular as toys for kids.
As the popularity of scooters as a toy began to drop, the sport of freestyle scootering did the opposite. It did not take long for riders to start using them in skate parks to perform tricks. Once the sport gained traction, companies began to manufacturer stunt scooters which were engineered to handle the rough conditions of a skate park.
The more people practiced, the more the activity of scootering began to turn into a fully-fledged and respected sport. The tricks that a rider can perform are as simple as jumping off small ramps or bunny-hopping on a back wheel.
Just as with any sport, there is also a whole other level that is not for the unskilled. You can take as an example, Dakota Schuetz, a legend in this sport who has recently made it in the Guinness Book of World Records for managing to complete 15 backflips on a scooter in one minute.
In the last decade, scootering has evolved from something that small children loved to do around their neighborhood, to a true urban sport that people of any age enjoy.
Scootering today
There are different forms of scooter riding depending on the different terrains that are available to the rider, but the most popular of these still is performing tricks and stunts in skate parks. Since these places are set up for skateboards and bikes, the conditions are ideal for scootering.
While this sport might not yet have a rich history, it is growing rapidly and that means that it shouldn’t be too long until it manages to catch up with BMX and skateboarding in this regard. Just like any other sport, scootering also has its professionals. They are the ones who set the standard for what a rider should be capable of achieving.
They are well-paid and travel the world to compete and show off their skills, and there are many fans worldwide that gather to witness them. Scooter competitions have increased in occurrence in the last years, and now it is common to see them at festivals that are attended by thousands of people.
There are now teams in the major parts of the globe such as the USA, UK, Europe, and Australia. With scooters invading every skate park, school playground, and street, is it safe to say that this activity is becoming one of the most popular extreme sports at this moment.
It has even managed to overcome popular sports like skateboarding. It is impossible to predict how far this sport will go, but one thing is certain: it won’t go away anytime soon, so if you want to get involved now is the time to do it.
There are many people that look to get involved each day and thanks to the fact that the sport is quite affordable, it is easily accessible to a large number of people. All you need to do is get yourself a scooter, some protective gear, and you can start practicing.
How you can get involved
To get started you will need to go to your local skate park, and if you live in or near a large city, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to find one. According to most riders, the scooter community is passionate and welcoming to newcomers. If this is your first time going to a local skate park, there are a few things you need to take into consideration.
First, there are a few rules of etiquette that need to be followed so that you don’t risk starting on the wrong foot. There are organizations such as the ISA which are working with new scooter riders to help them start navigating skate parks. It is very important to ensure that scootering maintains as good of a relationship with other sports as possible.
If your small town or city does not have a skatepark, there are a few other terrains that you can use to practice. You can use the streets, parking places, and anything from curbs to stair rails around the city.
There is also dirt riding which is a new type of scootering and judging from how people are reacting to it now, it is safe to say that it will add another exciting dimension to this hugely popular sport.
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